Technical Field
In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to training aids for bowed musical instruments. In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for electronically sensing movements of the player of a bowed musical instrument, and translating the sensed movements into sound without the use of strings.
Description of the Related Art
Players of conventional bowed musical instruments including the violin, viola, cello, and bass gain proficiency, in large part, by learning to control various aspects of bow movement. When a player draws the bow across a string, friction between the bow and the string initiates vibration of the string. The string vibrations are then translated to the top of the instrument via a bridge, causing the instrument to resonate. Thus, the point at which the bow meets the string is an important determiner of sound quality. Another determinant of sound quality is the contact point at which the player's fingertip stops the string vibration on the fingerboard.
Aspects of bow movement include bow pressure, bow speed, bow angle with respect to the bridge, distance from the bridge to the fingerboard, and bow placement along the length of the bow. It is generally desirable for the player of a bowed stringed instrument to maintain a bow angle that is substantially parallel to the bridge and perpendicular to the fingerboard. Developing control of the bow angle is a common source of frustration for beginning players, and even professional string players are challenged to consistently maintain a proper bow angle.
There exist devices to assist players of bowed instruments in developing better control of the bow angle. Typically, such devices, referred to as bow guides, constrain the bow to move in a trough as described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,753,053, or the bow guides present other fixed physical barriers that protrude vertically above the instrument. Some bow guides restrict motion of the bow stick, thereby forcing the player to bow in a straight line. Such devices include, for example, products such as “Bow Right”, described in U.S. Design patent No. D322,270, available from www.sharmusic.com, or devices described in International Patent Applications WO1997/043752 and WO1991/005328A1, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,792. Such devices are problematic for several reasons. For example, the use of a fixed barrier does not allow for natural arm motion that occurs even when bowing at a proper angle. In addition, such devices can be unsightly, bulky, and awkward. Furthermore, any vibrational device like a bow guide that is in contact with the top of the instrument will tend to produce a sound that is amplified by the body of the instrument. Consequently, bow guides that rest on the top of the instrument may not permit silent practice, and would tend to generate sounds that are even more unpleasant than an uncontrolled string sound. Additionally, such devices do not allow for the use of a valuable bow. As a result, such bow guides are typically only used by beginners, and without enthusiasm.
There also exist “silent violins” which are essentially electric instruments played without optional amplification. However, such models are still equipped with strings which, even without acoustic projection or electric amplification, make at least a faint, but noticeable, sound when they are bowed or when the player's finger strikes the string. Therefore, practice on such an instrument is not truly silent. Silent practice is beneficial for musicians who live in apartment buildings, for example, or for beginners and their families, who might be discouraged by the sounds they are making. Advantageously, there is no dissonance involved in silent practice.
In addition, there exist electric stringed instruments that sense a player's finger position on a fingerboard, such as the devices described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0100992 to Elion and in International Patent Application Publication WO2008/017233 to Fang. A stringless guitar is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,705. A stringless violin has been proposed, but it includes a bulky and restrictive bow guide having motors attached to it to sense and translate bow motion [“Stringless violin to bring feeling to computer music,” www.newscientist.com, May 16, 2002].